Need another reason to get yourself an iPhone or iPod touch? How about “The Sushi Catalogue App” from Shogakukan, Inc.?

Our friends at VIZ have alerted us to this new app that is available in the App Store (if you were unsure) and it has 80 different kinds of traditional Japanese sushi with illustrations, cross-references and full explanations.

Mr. Yamamoto, Producer of The Sushi Catalogue, Shogakukan:

“Whether going on an overseas trip to Japan or just down the street to the local sushi bar, The Sushi Catalogue is a useful companion for iPhone and iPod touch users,” says Mr. Yamamoto. “The Sushi Catalogue has it all and presents information in an easy-to-reference way giving people informative and fun ways to understand and interact with these unique traditions.”

The app allows you to access different sushi dishes and has sub-categories for different toppings and seasonal availabilities, as well as variations on traditional preparations and presentations. Viewing any particular dish in landscape mode makes the image larger, while sliding the image to the left or right changes it to another entry.

As of the 1^st of October, Shogakukan are giving iPhone and iPod touch owners a 50% discount on the app until the 15^th of October. “The Sushi Catalogue App” can also be used in association with the “Daijisen Japanese-Japanese Dictionary” also by Shogukakan, Inc., which has 230,000 entries, derived terms, phrases and The Pocket Progressive English-Japanese Japanese-English Dictionary. The Daijisen Dictionary App is helpful to those wanting to learn Japanese with the ability to search many terms as well as the latest “buzzwords” and the most recently added slang, and it also includes an 8×8 crossword puzzle game with hints given in Japanese.

The Sushi Catalogue App is available at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/ for iPhone and iPod touch, at the price of $4.99US.